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May 22, 2019

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Home » Sports » Soccer

Oscar hat-trick fires SIPG into ACL last 16

Source: AFP | 00:14 UTC+8 May 22, 2019 | Print Edition

Former Chelsea star Oscar hit a hat-trick, including a wonderful curling effort from outside the box, to fire Shanghai SIPG into the AFC Champions League last 16 yesterday.

The Chinese champion’s 5-0 home demolition of a depleted, but already qualified, Ulsan Hyundai dumped Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale out of Asia’s premier club competition.

Kawasaki thrashed a weakened Sydney FC 4-0 away but SIPG squeezed through by a point in Group H over last year’s J-League winner.

Ulsan still finished top of the group despite the thrashing and will meet Urawa Red Diamonds in the last 16 after the Japanese team’s supersub Kazuki Nagasawa scored the opening goal and created another in a 3-0 win over Chinese Super League leader Beijing Guoan in Saitama.

Vitor Pereira’s SIPG finished runner-up and will play Group G winner Jeonbuk Motors, another Korean side, next month in the knockout rounds while high-flying Beijing failed to get past the group stage.

Oscar, who joined SIPG for an Asian-record 60 million euros (US$67 million) from Chelsea in January 2017, said: “The (second) goal I scored was very beautiful and my favorite.”

Asked if the exquisite strike was a reminder to European football of his enduring qualities, the 27-year-old Brazilian said: “For players who come to Asia and China, their level is not going down. We keep working hard to improve our level step by step.”

SIPG made light of the absence of injured captain Hulk and was ahead after just seven minutes when Oscar played a clever one-two with compatriot Elkeson before firing first time past stand-in goalkeeper Moon Jung-in.

K-League leader Ulsan made wholesale changes from the team that won 3-1 at Suwon Bluewings on Saturday allowing Pereira’s side to dominate at a half-empty Shanghai Stadium.

Oscar’s neat first settled any nerves in the must-win game and the former international made it 2-0 on 42 minutes with his world-class strike into the top-left corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Man of the match Oscar completed his hat-trick on 76 minutes after striker Li Shenglong had made it 3-0 and substitute Hu Jinghang made it a five-star night.

Over in Japan, Urawa had an early scare when captain Yosuke Kashiwagi was stretchered off in the 11th minute to be replaced by Nagasawa.

But Urawa needn’t have worried as it was the substitute who broke the deadlock in the 34th as he shrugged off weak Beijing challenges on the edge of the box to fire past goalkeeper Zou Dehai.

Beijing needed at least a score draw to go through to the last 16 but its task became harder when Nagasawa turned provider seven minutes later, sliding in Yuki Muto to score.

Urawa remained in control and in the 81st sealed its place in the knockout phase when Muto played in Shinzo Koroki to ram home.

Jeonbuk drew 0-0 with Thailand’s Buriram United in the other Group G match.

On Monday, Xavi Hernandez’s dazzling career came to a low-key end when his Qatari side al-Sadd was beaten 0-2 by Iranian giant Persepolis in their last group match of the ACL.

The 39-year-old midfield genius, who helped Spain win the World Cup in 2010 and won four UEFA Champions League titles and eight La Liga titles with Barcelona, was cheered by fans at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran where already-eliminated Persepolis produced an improved display to register only its second win in six matches.

Just 11,000 spectators were present in the 100,000-capacity stadium, mostly wearing the red of Persepolis, which won the Iranian league title recently.

Several home fans brandished banners reading “Adios Xavi” to show their appreciation of the player who with Andres Iniesta formed the backbone of one of Barcelona’s greatest-ever sides.

Xavi was also honored by the Persepolis management who presented him with a jersey featuring the No. 6 he has worn in his career.

But al-Sadd’s second defeat in a row, following its 1-4 thrashing by domestic rival al-Duhail in last week’s Amir Cup final in Doha, meant Xavi’s illustrious career ended in a low-key fashion.

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